Turkey: Main opposition CHP to hold Syria conference

By Andac Hongur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) will hold an international Syria conference on Saturday in Istanbul.

“The conference aims to contribute to establishing lasting peace in Syria,” CHP Deputy Chairman Veli Agbaba told a news conference in Istanbul on Wednesday.

The conference will address topics including the international dimension of the Syrian issue, the problems faced by Syrian refugees, social life and integration, the strategic role of regional actors, and the role of local administrations.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have been killed and more than 10 million others displaced, according to UN officials.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz